Craigslist Find - Newbie advice needed

[raiz]

Hello all! This is my first post on the forums so I'll do my best not to break any rules.

A couple days ago I was searching through craiglist and found what appeared to be a good deal. It was a Hearthstone Homestead stove with a little wear/tear for $800. I drove down and picked it up yesterday.

It appears to have cracks through the two stones on the right vertical side, scratches on the top stones (maybe they were cooking on it?), and rust on the back side where water seems to have dripped through their roof onto the stove.

I'd like to get it cleaned up a bit before bringing it into the house, so could you guys give me the recommended maintenance to do to a stove like this? Also, what is my best bet for removing the rust on the back? I have some black stove paint that might do the job, but not sure if it's the right product.

Finally, it looks like the firebricks were held in by something, but they came out easily by hand so whatever adhesive was used will need to be scraped off and reapplied. What do I need to pick up for this?

So did I get a good deal?

 

[HomeinPA]

I've actually had limited contact with soapstone stoves but I'd go over the inside of the stove well to make sure it wasn't over-fired just to be safe. The cracked stones could be from over-firing, maybe got water on them while they were hot.... or an overactive kid with a baseball. I've never seen firebrick cemented in either. I can only guess that they used some type of gasket cement maybe?? I'm sure someone with experience with these will chime in soon.

As far as paint goes, I would check online to see what particular color that Hearthstone uses on their stoves and get that from Stove Bright for touching up the body. From what I see they use a color called Matte Black but you should check for yourself. I've always been amazed at how many different shades of black and grey these companies can come up with but it's always better to match the old.

 

[raiz]

Yeah, overfiring could definitely be the issue. The crack isn't bad, but it's there. I'm just not sure if there is a recommended repair method I should do to avoid further damage.

So, to be more concise, I am hoping to get the following from the knowledgeable members here:

1. How to clean the rust off of the back and which type of paint to reapply?
2. What repairs need to be done (if any) to the existing soapstone?
3. How to get rid of the cosmetic scratches on the top soapstone pieces.
4. How to re-adhere the back and bottom inside stones (if necessary).

 

[begreen]

1) wire brush for the rough stuff, steel wool for the light stuff. Wipe clean then wipe down with alcohol or acetone. Paint with Stove Brite satin black.
2) if the crack goes all the way through and light can shine through the crack then the stone may need replacing. If not, just live with it.
3) Fine steel wool
4) Get a tube of Hearthstone cement from a Hearthstone dealer or here
(broken link removed to https://www.lehmans.com/product/hearthstone-stove-cement/)

This looks like it may be a Homestead with the short leg kit. If so, it is designed to sit on a full fireplace hearth and has a very high hearth insulation requirement of R=6.6

 

[webby3650]

1) wire brush for the rough stuff, steel wool for the light stuff. Wipe clean then wipe down with alcohol or acetone. Paint with Stove Brite satin black.
2) if the crack goes all the way through and light can shine through the crack then the stone may need replacing. If not, just live with it.
3) Fine steel wool
4) Get a tube of Hearthstone cement from a Hearthstone dealer or here
(broken link removed to https://www.lehmans.com/product/hearthstone-stove-cement/)

This looks like it may be a Homestead with the short leg kit. If so, it is designed to sit on a full fireplace hearth and has a very high hearth insulation requirement of R=6.6

You are correct. It’s a hearth model and pretty much must be installed on a solid masonry floor or hearth.

Satin paint will work, but it was originally painted with matte black Stove Bright.

As for the cracks, like was mentioned make sure you can’t see light through them. Use a bright flashlight in a dark room. I rarely ever see a Hearthstone that isn’t cracked... that’s a problem for me.

 

[HomeinPA]

You are correct. It’s a hearth model and pretty much must be installed on a solid masonry floor or hearth.

Satin paint will work, but it was originally painted with matte black Stove Bright.

As for the cracks, like was mentioned make sure you can’t see light through them. Use a bright flashlight in a dark room. I rarely ever see a Hearthstone that isn’t cracked... that’s a problem for me.

Are you guys referring to cracks in the body or in the exterior stone? Do stone cracks indicate stove cracks in most instances and is that a symptom of this particular stove or any soapstone stove?

 

[raiz]

Are you guys referring to cracks in the body or in the exterior stone? Do stone cracks indicate stove cracks in most instances and is that a symptom of this particular stove or any soapstone stove?

If you look at the pictures I posted, the 3rd pic shows a vertical crack running through the exterior stone.

 

[raiz]

You are correct. It’s a hearth model and pretty much must be installed on a solid masonry floor or hearth.

Satin paint will work, but it was originally painted with matte black Stove Bright.

As for the cracks, like was mentioned make sure you can’t see light through them. Use a bright flashlight in a dark room. I rarely ever see a Hearthstone that isn’t cracked... that’s a problem for me.

Do I have to remove the stone from the frame in order to check if light shines through?

To answer your other comment, the stove is actually thin enough to sit on the hearth in front of the fireplace which is made of the same stone as the fireplace itself. I will look into buying a fire retardant "hearth rug" to put in front of the stove.

Because the fireplace and chimney are made of the same stone, do I need to run a pipe all the way up the chimney or can I just put a small piece up through the fireplace damper and call it good?

 

[Jan Pijpelink]

Do I have to remove the stone from the frame in order to check if light shines through?

To answer your other comment, the stove is actually thin enough to sit on the hearth in front of the fireplace which is made of the same stone as the fireplace itself.

Because the fireplace and chimney are made of the same stone, do I need to run a pipe all the way up the chimney or can I just put a small piece up through the fireplace damper and call it good?

If you have a masonry chimney, you need to install an insulated liner from the stove top to the top of the chimney, install a chimney cap, to make it safe and up to code. Is you chimney inspected by a certified sweep? Do that first before you install the stove.

 

[begreen]

Do I have to remove the stone from the frame in order to check if light shines through?

To answer your other comment, the stove is actually thin enough to sit on the hearth in front of the fireplace which is made of the same stone as the fireplace itself. I will look into buying a fire retardant "hearth rug" to put in front of the stove.

Because the fireplace and chimney are made of the same stone, do I need to run a pipe all the way up the chimney or can I just put a small piece up through the fireplace damper and call it good?

No need to remove the stone. Just use a bright flashlight in a darkened room.
A hearth rug is insufficient protection. The stove is low and will project a fair amount of heat from the front. The amount of protection will depend on the height of the hearth above the floor. The manual has specific diagrams showing the amount of protection needed depending on the hearth height.
Regardless of where your stove is installed, the area extending at least 16 inches in front of the stove must have an insulating R-value of 2.5; you can also use a listed floor protector for this area. This provides floor protection in front of the loading door.

Is the fireplace masonry or a prefab zero clearance fireplace? Does it have a raised hearth or one that is flush with the floor? A full length liner is required if this is a ZC fireplace and strongly recommended for a large masonry chimney.

Also check mantel clearances.

 

[webby3650]

Are you guys referring to cracks in the body or in the exterior stone? Do stone cracks indicate stove cracks in most instances and is that a symptom of this particular stove or any soapstone stove?

Cracks in the stone. Hearthstone uses a single layer of 1 1/4” stone.

Woodstock uses 2 thinner layers of stone, and for good reason. I service a dozen or so Hearthstone stoves each season, almost everyone has cracked stones. I think it has nothing to do with abuse by the user at times, I feel that they are just prone to cracking.

 

[raiz]

I was able to acquire some Stove Brite in flat black. After a wire brush hooked to the drill as well as some steel wool to get into the corners, I applied two coats and I think it came out pretty nicely. Below are the before and after pictures. Thank you begreen and webby3650 for the cleaning and paint suggestions.



A chimney liner will be coming next. I had no idea these metal tubes were so expensive Can anyone suggest a tube/cap combo that is less than $400? (2 story house) I also bought some insulating chimney foam spray as well as some sealant for when the tube gets installed.

The stove will be sitting on the hearth which is about 8-10" off of the wood floor, so I need to figure out what exactly to put in front of the stove that meets the required R-rating. Something with a little class would be preferable if you guys have suggestions. Here is a picture of where the stove will be installed.

 

[raiz]

Oh and I forgot to mention that two of the bolts on the back were rusted solid so they broke off when trying to remove them. I had to drill them out and use a Speed-Out to remove them. Fun times!

 

[webby3650]

I’m not familiar with any spray foam for chimneys. What are you planning to use?

$400 for a liner is a bargain basement deal, and I’d be concerned about the quality of it. That’s very cheap! Did you get a Tee with an oval snout? Or do you have the oval to round adaptor from Hearthstone? You should also be insulating the liner.

I wouldn’t be concerned with R-value so much since it’s a raised hearth, ember protection should suffice. Lay a row of tile, or buy a premade tile hearth board/extension.

 

[raiz]

I’m not familiar with any spray foam for chimneys. What are you planning to use?

$400 for a liner is a bargain basement deal, and I’d be concerned about the quality of it. That’s very cheap! Did you get a Tee with an oval snout? Or do you have the oval to round adaptor from Hearthstone? You should also be insulating the liner.

I wouldn’t be concerned with R-value so much since it’s a raised hearth, ember protection should suffice. Lay a row of tile, or buy a premade tile hearth board/extension.

I have the oval to round adapter from Hearthstone. The original owner gave it to me with the stove.
Below is the foam & sealant I found at Lowes. Will solid styrofoam board work? Not sure what temp it melts at.

EDIT: Upon further research, I've found ceramic insulation blankets. Can these be cut to sit on top of the original fireplace damper?




Still looking for a recommendation on liner + cap combo.

 

[Jan Pijpelink]

That foam is only heat resistant to 240 F. What do you want to use it for exactly?

 

[jetsam]

That foam is only heat resistant to 240 F. What do you want to use it for exactly?

And the caulk tops out at 180F. Neither one can be used for high temperature applications. Check the spec sheet before using any product.

Styrofoam is not okay. If you're making a blockoff plate, use a piece of sheet metal and Roxul (which has recently mutated into "Rockwool"). You can get both at any home depot/lowes. If you want to chink up a gap, use furnace cement (also available at any home depot/lowes).

High temperature RTV silicone is also available, but their working temperatures vary a lot, and none of them can take as much heat as furnace cement (the highest temperature silicone I've seen is good to about 700F, and furnace cement is usually around 2000F).

 

[raiz]

That foam is only heat resistant to 240 F. What do you want to use it for exactly?

Apparently I'm not going to use it for anything.

 

[Jan Pijpelink]

Apparently I'm not going to use it for anything.

Good, because it would not hold.

 

[raiz]

Ok, so I did some measurements.

Chimney is 18'2" from top to bottom of the floor.
Inner dimensions are 15"long x 6"wide.
It's a double chimney so there are 2 parallel 15x6 openings running to the top of the house.
It's a direct shot from the flue, straight up.

With a 15"x6" chimney, What size pipe/liner should I be going for? 5.5"?

 

[jetsam]

You need a 6" liner (check the stove's manual). If you are going to insulate it, a 9x4 oval liner is going to be more expensive, but has the same cross-sectional area as a 6" round liner.

If it's an interior chimney, I'd probably just go with a 6" round liner.

 

[raiz]

Any reason I have to stay with a 6"? Won't I have issues it getting down a 6" chimney when the insulation is glued around the outside?

 

[begreen]

You'll need to go with an oval liner. 15" x 6" is an odd size.